This association was set up in 2006 by a group of more than 100 entrepreneurs and managers in Portugal in response to the call launched to civil society by the then President of the Republic, Professor Aníbal Cavaco Silva, for a commitment to social inclusion that would involve political forces, institutions, local authorities and civil society organisations. Since its foundation, EPIS has had Engineer Diogo Simões Pereira as its director-general. The Association works in close partnership with the Ministry of Education, Regional Governments and Local Authorities across the country and has had the High Patronage of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Professor Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, since 2016.
In an increasingly global and competitive world, where technological progress asserts itself every day, ever greater challenges of social inclusion are created for the most disadvantaged children and young people, making EPIS’s mission increasingly relevant.
As stated by the Chair of the Board, Dr. Leonor Beleza, EPIS – Entrepreneurs for Social Inclusion, is responsible for the largest programme for civil society involvement in promoting the social inclusion of young people through academic success and professional integration.
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EPIS Social Scholarships
In 2011, EPIS developed a scholarship programme for students in need. The EPIS Social Scholarships – Schools of the Future were designed with 3 objectives, making it possible to align the spirit of EPIS’s 2 main programmes on the ground:
• Provide support to students in need throughout their secondary and university education;
• Highlight best practices in promoting social inclusion and sustainability and active citizenship and, since 2019, in line with the “Special Youth Initiative” programme;
• Support training placements and professional integration for young people with special needs and students.
The EPIS Social Scholarships have nationwide coverage: all schools, institutions and students studying in Portugal can apply.
Since 2011, EPIS has recognised 118 schools and institutions for their best practices in social inclusion, awarded 943 scholarships to students, investing €1.7M, with the support of 86 social investors and 89 individual donors, through 238 partnerships.
In 2023, the 13th edition of the EPIS Social Scholarships continues to represent significant growth for the programme:
• 208 scholarships to be awarded, +28% compared to the 2022 programme;
• Social investment of €454.8k, +34% compared to the 2022 programme.
In 2023, the programme had 49 social investors: Abreu Advogados, Actemium, Águas do Vale do Tejo, ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, Ascenza, Atrium Investimentos, Avipronto, Banco Carregosa, Banco de Portugal, Banco Invest, Banco Montepio, BIAL, Biotek, Brisa, Boehringer Ingelheim, BP Portugal, Caima, Caixa Geral de Depósitos, Cires, Cofaco Açores, CTT – Correios de Portugal, Deloitte, Estoril Sol, Fertagus, Fresenius Kabi, Fidelidade, Fundação AGEAS – Agir com coração, Fundação Amélia de Mello, Fundação Galp, Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento, Fundação Monjardino, Fundação Santander Portugal, Galucho, Grupo Jerónimo Martins, Grupo Pestana, Grupo Super Bock, Grupo Trivalor, Omexon, Sociedade Central de Cervejas, Sogrape, Soroptimist International Clube Lisboa Caravela, Sotécnica, Synthomer Omnova, Tabaqueira, V Humana, Zurich, and also 3 individual donors, Teresa and Duarte Mineiro, Ernesto Silva Vieira and an anonymous donor.
The EPIS Social Scholarships 2023, now in their 13th edition, were awarded on 4 December 2023, in a session held at Caixa Geral de Depósitos’ headquarters in Lisbon, bringing together students and their families, EPIS Members and Partners, school principals, teachers and EPIS mediators.
Aware of the need to support these initiatives, Horto do Campo Grande welcomed Fábio Carrilho, who has been doing an internship since 2022 at the Campo Grande Garden Centre. We immediately had the full cooperation of our staff, who welcomed and integrated Fábio into the team, and who follow his commitment and progress every day, always with the support and guidance of APCL – Lisbon Cerebral Palsy Association.
It was with great satisfaction that we saw him awarded an EPIS Social Scholarship, with the support of the Amélia de Mello Foundation, for Special Youth, before the EPIS Social Scholarships 2023 Jury. A scholarship that will certainly contribute to a more promising future.
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© Companhia das Cores for Horto do Campo Grande
